Social Media according to Wikipedia, “are primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.” The different social media outlets aim to integrate both media (print, audio, video) and interaction between the content creators and the consumers of the media.

Social Media? Like MSNBC?

No doubt you’ve heard about Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. All three of these social networks (SocNets) have their place within the online community as places to “gather.”

You’ve also likely tried to get involved in one SocNet or another and found yourself asking, “Why do I care what these people are doing right now? Heck, why do they care about what I’M doing?”

Both are valid questions, however the point of social media is to have a conversation with prospective clients across the internet. Remember, the National Association of Realtors states that nearly 90% of real estate consumers utilize the internet to find information about their next foray into real estate.

So, if 90% of consumers are utilizing the internet, that means that as an agent, you need to be found in as many places as possible across the ‘net….just like your listings!

[but that's an entirely separate subject and article]

Why SocNets? Think Chamber of Commerce…

As a successful agent, you have no doubt made the rounds at your local Chamber of Commerce networking events. In attending these events, you were diligent to either bring a stack of cards to distribute or you drew up a list of folks you need to meet prior to leaving the event.

SocNets are a giant Chamber of Commerce – but without the geographic boundaries!

This means that you can have conversations with folks interested in your marketplace from across the globe. This level of networking allows you to communicate with many more folks than just the ones you are in direct communication with. You see, every person you connect with on just those three SocNets mentioned earlier has their own network of folks. So by chatting with one person, you could be communicating with an addtional 10, 100 or even 1,000 additional folks.

Social Media Will Change Your Business Look past the yakkers, hobbyists, and political mobs. Your customers and rivals are figuring blogs out. Our advice: Catch up…or catch you later

There Are Two More Benefits

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Google Indexing

If the first item doesn’t make you twitter, the second one will!

Every account you fill in online for these SocNets will have a profile for you to flesh out. To continue any conversation from SocNet to appointment, you need to place your high value website or blog in your profile. This allows interested parties to learn more about you and your business at their own pace (see how this is kinda like geo-farming an area?). More clicks on the link to your site, the more traffic you get, the more Google begins to notice your site.

Which leads right into Google Indexing…